Colin Kaepernick was unable to play in the San Francisco 49ers’ first game of the preseason, leading many to believe Blaine Gabbert is going to run away with the starting quarterback job.
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“There were ups and downs”, Gabbert said. “But we are running downhill like you saw today”.
Brock Osweiler didn’t fare as well in his Texans debut, failing to lead Houston to any points in three drives. He completed just 4-of-10 passes for 63 yards and got off to a shaky start, though he did connect with tight end Vance McDonald on a 43-yard touchdown pass.
But they all know that Baalke and York want Gabbert to win this job and as I reported yesterday it is well-known in the building that Baalke is openly pushing for Gabbert and against Kaepernick.
“I’m just really disappointed for (Lewis) because I thought he played well yesterday and was really starting to come on”, Kelly said Monday.
The 49ers franchise had only two healthy quarterbacks – Gabbert and rookie Jeff Driskel – throw in Tuesday’s brief practice before they flew to Denver, where they’ll practice Wednesday and Thursday against the host Broncos ahead of Saturday night’s exhibition.
But he was much more effective on the third drive when he scrambled 13 yards for a first down and then hit McDonald for the long score when Benardrick McKinney slipped in coverage. “There were some real positives that we can build on but there were some throws that even if you ask Blaine, he’d say he wished he had those back”.
Gabbert wasn’t special (4 for 10 for 63 yards and the TD), but he was running Kelly’s offense while Kaepernick was in sweat trousers and a T-shirt roaming the sidelines.
Osweiler, who signed a $72 million, four-year contract with Houston in the offseason, went 4 for 7 for 27 yards.
He hasn’t thrown a pass in practice since the middle of last week.
Texans: Miller, a third-round pick, had four catches for 34 yards, including an acrobatic 24-yard gain in the third quarter from Savage. He has started nine games the following year and just one game in 2014.
Lewis was 12 for 21 for 97 yards and is the only offensive player with experience in Kelly’s system after having spent last season as a backup in Philadelphia.
The team had Kaepernick back off his passing work after he experienced shoulder soreness following practice on August 10. Christian Covington was credited for forcing the fumble, but both Hyde and Rathman said nose tackle Vince Wilfork’s hip dislodged the ball.
Kaepernick didn’t play in Sunday’s game due to shoulder soreness.
“I don’t look at it as a leg up (for Gabbert)”, Kelly said, per Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
Kelly said the plan outlined by the team’s medical staff in consultation with Kaepernick called for the quarterback to ramp up his practice participation next week with the notion of getting playing time in the team’s third exhibition at home against Green Bay on August 26.
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“He’ll get treatment tonight, and then we’ll take a look at him tomorrow and see how he’s feeling”, McAdoo said.
